I have a 6 or 7 week old chick hatched under a hen (actually under 2 sharing) which seems to have a beak deformity. Whether one of the hens was a bit clumsy or it was born like that I don't know. Now I have taken some close up photos it looks like it's similar to a human cleft lip type of thing? It is a lot smaller than the other 2 chicks as it cannot pick up food easily but it seems otherwise normal and happy enough. Here's a photo of it (quite a mission to get on through Photobucket). I'm not into putting down a chick if it can have a life so I will let nature take its course unless it appears distressed. I didn't think it had a comb either but there seems to be a tiny one.

Last edited by tishie11 on Sun Jan 15, 2017 10:39 am, edited 1 time in total.

Is its tongue sticking out? It looks to me like both the upper and the lower beak are too short? I don't think this can be caused by a clumsy hen - it probably hatched like this.

I can see wattles and comb - it's probbaly a female - as usual when there's one with a deformity. Have you checked if its crop is full in the evening to see whether it gets enough to eat? Some chicks with a beak deformity do better on mash - rather than pellets.

Yes its tongue flicks in and out. She is a lot smaller than the other 2 of the same age so I know she is not getting as much food. I haven't handled these chicks as they have been with a hen until recently when she started fretting to get out and started laying again. I have been feeding them chick starter still and chook chow as this has small grains and mash size food in. I might have to put this in a small container so the chick can put her whole head in rather than a beak as normal.

Just an update on this chick. She is very active, running around as much as the others. But she takes 4 or 5 attempts to pick up a piece of food poor thing! She is a tryer even though she gets pecked by all the others being the littlest of the flock.

Has anyone else had a chick with a beak deformity that's lived a normal life?

My little chick has now reached 4.5 months (same batch of eggs as my gold laced pullet under my other post) but it is a male! He is still small - much smaller than the others of the same age. The best way of feeding him I have found is to put him into the bin of feed and bunch up the feed into a pile. He does quite well like that and doesn't get pecked by the others while he's eating.

Here's a pic of him feeding. The lower beak seems to be full length now but still no upper beak. His tongue looks a bit dried on the end as he can't keep this moist. But otherwise he is fine and is getting quite affectionate due to the special treatment he gets! But I didn't really need another male ..........